Schrödingers Treppe / Schrödinger’s Staircase
In South Korea, the designer once lived at both Isu Station(Chongshin University Station) and at Chongshin University Station(Isu Station). Yet, paradoxically, there is no ‘Chongshin University’ to be found at this station. Owing to the ambiguous administrative decisions of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it remains the only case in the country where a station’s name and its corresponding subway line designation do not align.
The site also features a structural anomaly, known as the “Why-like-this section.(translated by designer)” To pass through it, one must descend and then ascend a set of stairs of equal height. Citizens, uncertain of its necessity, either feel frustrated while using it or choose to bypass it altogether to avoid inconvenience.
This work appropriates the political language and procedures often found in bureaucratic administration, presenting a manual for navigating this passage.
Print, Video 4’24” (September 2022) ©JUHWA LEE